a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manual card reader and a manual IC card reader.
b) Description of the Related Art
More specifically, the present invention relates to a manual IC card reader which pushes down an IC contacts block with the insertion of an IC card, to project it toward a card pathway.
In some IC card readers, cards are inserted and removed by hand In IC card readers, an IC contacts spring needs to be contacted with a contact terminal pattern on an IC card that has been stopped at a predetermined position when performing a data communication with the card.
For this reason, in a conventional manual IC card reader as illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16, an IC contacts block 501 is supported by links 502, 503 to project toward a card pathway 504, a stop 508 is formed at the IC contacts block 501, and the IC contacts block 501 is pushed down for contact as the IC card 505 is inserted. The IC contacts block 501 is pulled opposite to the card insertion direction by a spring 506. The inserted IC card 505 hits against the stop 508, and moves the IC contacts block 501 stretching the spring 506. Therefore, the IC contacts block 501 is gradually lowered as it is moved together with the IC card 505, and brings the IC contacts spring 507 into contact with the contact terminal pattern on the IC card 105. Since the IC card 505 is accurately positioned by hitting against the stop 508 of the IC contacts block 501, the IC contacts spring 507 of the IC contacts block 501 precisely contacts the corresponding contact terminal pattern on the IC card 505.
Note that a code, 510, indicates a magnetic head, and a code, 511, indicates a foreign matter discharge opening.
In some manual card readers, a card is inserted and removed by hand for data reading and recording. FIG. 21 illustrates this kind, a manual card reader 601, in which magnetic data on a card 602 can be read by a magnetic head 603 as the card is inserted/removed.
On the other hand, in a manual IC card reader 604 as illustrated in FIG. 22, contacts 606 on a contacts block 605 need to be resiliently contacted on the card 602 which has stopped at a predetermined position for data communication with the card 602. Therefore, such a manual IC card reader 604 may be equipped with a stop 607 that establishes contact with the incoming edge of the card 602 for positioning the card. The manual IC card reader 604 illustrated in FIG. 22, for example, uses the stop 607 provided at the contacts block 605 to position the card 602 at the predetermined location.
However, in the above mentioned manual IC card reader, the IC contacts block 501 is pushed down as the IC card 505 is inserted, and accordingly the friction between the IC card 505 and the card running surface 509 of the card pathway 504 is increased.
In other words, as the IC contacts block 501 is lowered, the IC contacts spring 507 gradually but strongly presses the IC card 505 down onto the card running surface 509. This gradually increases friction that in turn becomes an insertion load on the IC card 505.
Furthermore, as the IC contacts block 501 is lowered, the IC contacts springs 507 arranged in two rows strongly and simultaneously press the IC card 505 down onto the card running surface 509. This increases friction that in turn becomes an insertion load on the IC card 505. Therefore, the force necessary to bring the card in increases abruptly during the insertion, thus deteriorating the operability of the card insertion.
Also, a user may misunderstand a sudden increase of the insertion load during the card insertion as the completion of the card insertion. If the user mistakenly stops pushing in the IC card 505 during the insertion, not only can an excellent contact not be obtained between the contact terminal pattern on the IC card 505 and the IC contacts spring 507 on the IC contacts block 501, but also an operational error may be caused due to an unusual contact position of the IC contacts spring 507.
With such a manual IC card reader 604, however, even when the card 602 taken inside the device is invalid due to expiration, etc., the card can be neither discharged from the back nor collected inside the device, but only returned to the card insertion slot. For this reason, users of the IC card reader 104 need to take the invalid card, which is returned to the card insertion slot, to the customer service to renew the card.
Also, if a user forgets to remove the card 602 from the IC card reader 604, others may exploit the card 602 for misuse.
Then, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an IC card reader that can prevent an abrupt increase of the card insertion load, which is normally caused by projecting the IC contacts block onto the card pathway.
Also, a further object of the present invention is to provide an IC card reader that can prevent an abrupt increase of the card insertion load, caused by pushing the IC contacts block onto the card pathway.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide manual card reader and manual IC card reader in which invalid cards or the cards that could not be withdrawn by hand (the card left behind) can be collected internally.